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Delhi University's 4-year degree roadmap not clear

Studying as an undergraduate in Delhi University will be a different experience from next year when a 4-year degree course is introduced with exit options and credits. Teachers have, however, been left guessing about its structure.

| TNN | Updated: Sep 23, 2012, 06:04 IST

DELHI: Reforms seems to be the buzzword everywhere and, at least in Delhi University, it's breaking news that has caught the academic community off-guard . Into the second year of implementation of the semester system at the undergraduate level, Delhi University is embarking on another round of radical reforms with a four-year-degree system. Expected to roll out from the 2013-14 academic session , provided it receives approval of the statutory bodies - academic and executive councils - this will be the first structural reforms of its kind in a university of the size of DU in the country. This will be followed by reforms at postgraduate level.
For such a giant step that will dramatically change the course content, the manner in which students approach a degree course and the number of students to be accommodated in the university, there has been very little debate or consultations with stakeholders it seems. Forget the Class XII students who will be appearing for their board examinations without any orientation to the new system.

The four-year course will have exit options in the second and third year, allow breaks and completion within 10 years, be less rigid about studying various disciplines and allow credits, even from sports and extra-curricular activities. The pros and cons can be debated but teachers are worried about the unseemly hurry to introduce the change without any consultations, preparations or roadmap. They say they have been kept completely in the dark with none of the statutory bodies being formally informed of the reforms .

The questions being raised reflect the academic community's anxiety. Are reforms like a four-year-degree course at the undegraduate level really necessary? Or is DU simply becoming a laboratory for the HRD ministry's agenda on higher education? Why are teachers not being consulted via staff councils? "In comparison to the semesters , this is a much bigger change being proposed. For semesters, the first proposal was placed in the academic council .

Feedback was sought from the staff councils of various colleges. This time, teachers have no idea what it will be like. Even now, there is no communication on the proposed reforms," said Nandita Narain, senior mathematics teacher at St Stephen's College.

There are also allegations of a bigger and sinister plan of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to push forward the 'higher education reforms' and make DU a centre for experimentation. "There are inherent strengths and weaknesses in all education systems. What we need to deliberate upon and debate is whether there is something wrong with the threeyear system," asked Sanjaya Bohidar, an economics teacher of Shri Ram College of Commerce. "Is it necessary to switch gears in such a hurry? These are proposals that only prime minister Manmohan Singh and HRD minister Sibal are talking about. We don't know about the pre-requisites for such major structural changes and yet these are being imposed on us. This implies that the objective is not to improve quality but something else. Is this not an attempt to create a uniform model for credit transfer to private foreign institutions when they come? It is all about recasting higher education as a business model." Vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh defends the plan, saying it's not an imitation but has been developed for the benefit of society. "This is the need of the country and society. We can't be removed from it as we are a publiclyfunded institution. Moreover, we have to give the students some degree of freedom and also its time teachers should be allowed to play the role of true mentors."

But why experiment with a large university like DU where students at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels and thousands of teachers will be impacted at once? Is DU then to be reduced to a 'feeder' institution for foreign universities to recruit students and teachers from. "This is 'academic corruption' . Why can't they start the reform process with the national policy which endorses the 10+2+3 system?" said a physics teacher from Miranda House, Abha Dev Habib.

On the designing of the courses, Singh said: "This will be a dynamic curriculum and we will not allow continuing with the same syllabus for 40 years. On the issue of consultations, I have interacted informally with 4,000 teachers and 700 have been divided into smaller groups and are engaged in devising the structure. I want to assure all that no process will be violated and we will go to the statutory bodies for their approvals."

"We need more classrooms and laboratories for the present crop. Infrastructure will be further strained," said principal of Hindu College Pradyuman Kumar.

"We have no teachers, no course design, no space," said Mitali Mishra, who teachers English at Lady Shri Ram College, "We are completely ignorant and all of us have a very bad feeling about the piecemeal way in which things are being done." Teachers have misgivings as with only nine months to go they have no information on courses they will have to teach.

The one-year degree of difference

DU to shift to 4-yr-degree system at undergraduate level from 2013

The system will have two exit options - at the end of 2nd year and then 3rd year

At the end of 2nd year, a student can exit with an associate degree

At the end of 3rd year, a student can exit with a bachelor's (not honours) degree

A student will be allowed to return and complete the next level of course within 10 years

On successful completion of 4 years, a student will get an honours degree

Key feature of course structure: it will be 'transdisciplinary' (encouraging study in areas across disciplines)

It will follow the credit system (sections of the syllabus will bring credits)

A student has to collect a stipulated number credits to complete the course

A student may also earn extra credits through research projects and have them count for a post-graduate course

Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities like sports, NCC and NSS participation will also bring credits

The roadmap

700 teachers across colleges and departments working in groups to finalize structure

Inputs from the academic congress are being incorporated

The final blueprint will be placed in the next academic council meeting

If passed, committee of courses will be asked to prepare the syllabi

Advantages

It will present opportunities for internships

The multidisciplinary approach will enhance employability of students

The system allows for greater flexibility . Students can choose from wide range of subjects

Students can start earning credits for post-graduate courses at undergraduate level

A sportsperson can earn credits for participation in sports and can even be allowed to drop certain courses and still collect a degree

Disadvantages

With just nine months left for launch, no concrete structure has emerged yet

Teachers alleging that new system will convert DU into an equivalent of community or junior colleges in the US as certificates and associate degrees are awarded only in such colleges

There are fears that DU may be reduced to a 'feeder' institution for foreign universities to recruit students and teachers from once they enter the scene

Deviation from the national policy of 10+2+3 followed by Indian universities

No formal proposal at any statutory bodies

DU colleges don't have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the additional 54,000 intake

Teachers allege its being implemented just because PM & Kapil Sibal talking about it

No opinion has been sought from staff councils

No stock-taking of pre-requisites for such major structural changes

Teachers argue that offering exits in the programme will only encourage low-income groups and women to leave early with a lesser degree

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